Obesity, a condition characterized by excessive bodily fat, is a well known risk factor for many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes and breast cancer. Moreover, personal appearance plays an important part in the overall well-being of most people.
Common treatments of obesity such as various diets (including food restriction diets), weight loss programs and exercise give varying degrees of success for many people. However, there remains a need for other techniques for those who experience insufficient results with prior art techniques, or for use as a supplement to prior art techniques.
Recently, some estrogen agonists/antagonists were disclosed for the treatment or prevention of obesity: Raloxifene and related compounds in European Patent Application Number EP 0 659 423 A1; estrogen agonists having a benzothiophene nucleus in European Patent Application Number EP 0 716 855 A2; 3,4-diphenyl chromans in International Application Number PCT/DK96/00011; naphtyl estrogen agonist/antagonist in International Application Number PCT/IB95/00286.
It was also reported that Tamoxifen, another estrogen agonist/antagonist, prevents sulpiride-induced weight gain in female rats (Baptista et al., Pharmacol., Biochem. Behav. (1997), 57(1/2), 215-222). It is also reported that Tamoxifen mimics the effect of estradiol on food intake, body weight and body composition in rats (Wade et al., American Journal of Physiology 1993, 33(6), R1219-1223.)
DHEA has also beneficial effects in the treatment and/or prevention of obesity. In aged Sprague-Dawley rats, Schwartz (in Kent, Geriatrics 37: 157-160, 1982) has observed that body weight was reduced from 600 to 550 g by DHEA without affecting food intake. Schwartz (Cancer 39: 1129-1132, 1979) observed that C3H mice given DHEA (450 mg/kg, 3 times a week) gained significantly less weight and grew older than the control animals, had less body fat and were more active. The reduction in body weight was achieved without loss of appetite or food restriction. Furthermore, DHEA could prevent weight gain in animals bred to become obese in adulthood (in Kent, Geriatrics 37: 157-160, 1982).
DHEA administration to lean Zucher rats decreased body weight gain despite increased food intake. Treated animals had smaller fat pads thus, overall, suggesting that DHEA increases food metabolism, resulting in lower weight gain and fat accumulation (Svec et al., Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Cortisol and Anti-Cortisols, Las Vegas, Nev., USA, p. 56 abst., 1997).
Obesity was found to be improved in the Avy mutant mouse (Yen et al., Lipids 12: 409-413, 1977) and in the Zucker rat (Cleary and Zisk, Fed. Proc. 42: 536, 1983). DHEA-treated C3H mice had a younger appearance than controls (Schwartz, Cancer Res. 39: 1129-1132, 1979).
Abdominal fat has been associated with metabolic risk factors for coronary breast disease (Imbault et al. Metabolism 1999, 48 (3), 355-62; Ledoux et al. (CMAJ 1997, 157 Suppl. 1; 46-53).